£1.1bn French interconnector plans unveiled

Aquind, an energy developer that was formerly part of Tyneside-based Offshore Group Newcastle, has unveiled plans to build a £1.1 billion interconnector between the UK and France.

The 2GW power line would run from Le Havre in Northern France to Lovedean, near Portsmouth.

The cable could begin importing power to the UK as soon as 2021 and is predicted to create 500 construction jobs.

The company behind the project is controlled by Alexander Temerko, a Ukrainian-born businessman based in the UK.

‘Keep the lights on’

Lord Callanan, one of Aquind’s non-executive directors and a former Conservative Member of the European Parliament, said: “Energy security is at the heart of Britain’s economic development and quality of life.

“We urgently need additional energy capacity if we are to keep the lights on across the country and the interconnector has a vital role to play in achieving that.